Adding just a few minutes of exercise per day could impact a person’s life expectancy, a new study has found.
Combined with an extra 24 minutes of sleep and small improvements to diet quality, those daily changes could add up to several additional years of life.
The research is one of two studiespublished this weekthat examine how small adjustments to day-to-day movement, sleep and diet are associated with substantial health improvements.
Sleep, physical activity and diet study
The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, followed up a group of people eight years after they signed up for UK Biobank, a massive project that collected data on demographics, health and lifestyle in the early 2000s.
The team of researchers, led by Nicholas Koemel of the University of Sydney, fitted 59,078 people with trackers to monitor their exercise and sleep patterns for a week.
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They also rated the participants’ self-reported diet at the time they signed up for UK Biobank to come up with a score out of 100.
According to the researchers, the study is the first of its kind to investigate the minimum combined doses of device-measured sleep and physical activity, alongside a comprehensive dietary score.
“We were aiming to look at the interconnection between sleep, physical activity, and diet; and our lifespan — which is the number of years that we live — and our healthspan, that’s essentially the number of years we live free from chronic disease,” Dr Koemel said.
The research found that small improvements in all three areas made gains in both lifespan and healthspan.
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The study found that improvement of life expectancy by one year when participants added:
just five extra minutes of sleep per day, plus
just under two minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and
an extra half serving of vegetables.
“One of the core findings from our study was that realistic improvements, these modest tiny tweaks across multiple behaviours, the sleep, physical activity, and diet, were able to create meaningful improvements in our lifespan and healthspan,” Dr Koemel said.
While these baby steps could help, overall the study found that the “optimal combination” of the three categories correlated with an additional nine years of life expectancy was:
seven to eight hours of sleep,
just over 40 minutes of moderate exercise per day,
and a healthy diet.
Moira Junge, an adjunct clinical professor and health psychologist at Monash University, praised the studies and said looking at the combination of sleep, exercise and diet over the long term is crucial in longevity research.
“We absolutely need to put it together, and research like this is proof that even small changes can make a really big difference to your health and wellbeing,” Dr Junge said.
Cutting sitting by half hour helps with life expectancy
The second study, published in The Lancet,examined participants who had low activity levels and spent hours sitting throughout the day.
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Data from more than 135,000 adults across Norway, Sweden and the United States, combined with data from the UK Biobank examined the impact ofdaily physical activity and reductions in sedentary behaviours on mortality.
The researchersfound a nine per cent reduction in mortality risk when those sitting for eight or more hours a day reduced their sitting time by 30 minutes.
Studies have linked long periods of sitting with increased risk of several chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
Sedentary behaviour has previously beenlinked to higher rates of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases, prompting some claims that “sitting is the new smoking”.
The study also found that increasing physical activity by just five minutes a day could have a significant health impact, especially for minimally active people.
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Increasing from one minute to six minutes of exercise per day was associated with an approximately 30 per cent reduction in mortality risk. Those who increased activity from one minute to 11 minutes per day saw an approximate 42 per cent reduction in mortality risk.
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In 2022, a reported four in 10 Australian adults (aged 18–64) were insufficiently physically active: not meeting the recommended 150–300 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity across five or more days per week.
“In reality, there’s always going to be people who don’t meet the guidelines,” said Melody Ding, a professor of public health at University of Sydney who co-led the study.
“But what we know is that especially for those who are extremely inactive, for them to get to do a little bit more, that’s where we get the most bang for their buck.“
“It tells us in terms of the benefits of physical activity, that we don’t need to get everybody to do so much. This micro-dosing concept, especially for those who are inactive, could make a huge difference in terms of health outcomes,” she said.
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Something better than nothing
Dr Junge hoped the study findings could help people feel positive health outcomes are achievable.
“I think that when people can feel like they’ve got mastery over something then they’re more likely to change their behaviour and more likely to have motivation to change. Health is a confidence game,” she said.
Lauren Ball, a professor of community health and wellbeing at University of Queensland, said the two newstudies reconfirm the importance of diet, physical activity and sleep for overall health and wellbeing.
“The notion that modest increases in physical activity is beneficial is also supported by other studies, suggesting that doing something is always better than nothing,” she said.
“The results also support behaviour change theories that suggest that improving one aspect of health behaviour, such as eating well, may increase motivation or self-efficacy for other health behaviours, such as being physically active.
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“This is an uplifting reminder for us all about the value of these health behaviours.“
‘Not a silver bullet’
While these numbers might be inspiring for some, Dr Koemel said they were not a “silver bullet”.
“It’s something that’s easy to accidentally take away from this; that maybe we only need to do one minute of exercise, and that’s not the case,” he said.
“We still have physical guidelines, and those are there for a reason. This is really about helping us go that extra step, and ask what we would need to do to take the first step in the right direction.”
The studies found that mortality improvements were most significant in participants who were inactive.
But Dr Ding said there was a “saturation point”.
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“For example, in this study our data has shown that for those who are already doing 30 or 40 minutes per day; the active people who are meeting the guidelines, adding another five minutes, you don’t really see visible change.”
Despite this, Dr Koemel said looking at small daily changes across sedentary behaviours, sleep, diet and physical activity could have positive impacts more widely.
“We want to try to create opportunities where everybody can make change. The idea that we need to make these massive overhauls; wake up and and run a marathon or go to the gym every day of the week, that might not necessarily be the best starting place,” he said.
“This gives that open door for us to go through and say, ‘Well, look, if we won’t be able to make massive changes or consume a perfect diet in the ideal world, here’s a starting place for everybody to put the best foot forward.’“
Wondering how much weight you should be lifting in the gym to build strength? Dr Stacy Sims says that not going heavy enough could be the biggest mistake women are making in their workouts.
What strength training looks like might differ (for example, some prefer callisthenics over classic weight training) for some, but one thing is clear – it needs to be a challenge.
This is something exercise scientist Dr Stacy Sims was keen to emphasise to journalist Clare Johnston on a recent episode of her podcast, The Honest Channel. The pair discussed why intensity really matters for women when they’re strength training, rather than just doing the same exercise for as many sets or reps as possible.
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Dr Sims says she believes many women don’t push themselves enough when working out, which is why we might not see results as quickly as we want. “There’s an inherent difference between building muscle and building strength. So we know that again, one of the first things that will come is strength, but how are we actually maximising that for women?” she says.
How much weight should I lift?
Dr Sims recommends lifting a weight you can complete for a maximum of six to eight repetitions, leaving just one or two in reserve. As she says in her video on perimenopause and resistance training: if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
Doing lots of repetitions with lighter dumbbells or other weights won’t have the same effect, she warns. Doing many reps over time improves your muscles’ endurance, but not how fibres within the muscle are working and how tightly they’re contracting, which is what you need to build strength – especially in perimenopause.
“When we start having changes in oestrogen, one of the first things that goes is pure power and strength because oestrogen affects our contractile proteins actin and myosin,” she says. She explains that adding load (lifting heavier) means actin and myosin “hold onto each other a lot harder and to have a very strong and tight contraction – that’s what strength and power are”. This means that if you’re not challenging your muscles to work harder through progressive overload, you won’t see the results you may be aiming for, because the proteins in your muscles are only ever contracting lightly.
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“It’s not just about building lean mass, it’s about how strong that muscle is as we go about building it. How do we go about preserving strength and fast-twitch fibres and all the things women need to conserve as we get older to have a really good health span,” Dr Sims explains.
Fast-twitch muscle fibres are needed for heavy weight lifting, sprinting and reaction ability, but they can fatigue quickly and reduce in size and number as we age. This is because of the fall in oestrogen we experience as we enter perimenopause. Men don’t have this problem because their testosterone levels stay more stable throughout their lives.
Taking supplements like creatine, alongside regular exercise, has been shown to improve this as well.
Dr Sims says lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric exercises – explosive, high-intensity exercises such as jumping or hopping – helps women increase and maintain their fast-twitch muscle fibres. She says if we focus on lifting heavy weights for fewer reps, there’s no need to be in the gym for hours every week – welcome news for all of us.
As for how often you should lift weights, she suggests at least three sessions every week with active recovery days between them. This should include mobility exercises and zone 2 exercise, such as a walking workout.
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If you’re new to strength training, remember to speak to a trained professional first to ensure you avoid injury.
Walking and running share a number of benefits — but what about that sweet middle ground between the two?
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“Jogging is about creating a steady pace,” says sports and exercise medicine specialist Leonardo Oliveira, MD. “Instead of focusing on speed, you’re focused more on endurance with good, quality steps.”
Before your next jaunt, Dr. Oliveira shares the many benefits of jogging and how it can help improve your overall health and wellness.
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9 benefits of jogging
Unlike running, where you’re focused on targeting different heart rate zones, jogging involves keeping a more stable and persistent pace. If you’re jogging at a moderate intensity, for example, your target heart rate will usually fall into zone 2, at 60% to 70% of your max heart rate.
“When you’re jogging, you should be able to carry on a conversation as you breathe through your nose,” says Dr. Oliveira. “If you’re doing just 15 minutes of jogging three times a week, you’re already going to notice the benefits.”
Here’s how you can benefit from jogging.
1. Reduces stress
Jogging, like other exercises, can help decrease your stress levels. As an aerobic exercise, it helps release endorphins, which can boost your mood and create feelings of euphoria or satisfaction. Not only does it provide an outlet for pent-up energy, but jogging outside also allows you to spend more time in nature, which provides even more mental health benefits.
“Research shows exercise can be as effective as medication when treating depression because of its wide-ranging benefits,” says Dr. Oliveira.
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2. Burns calories
Jogging is a full-body exercise that offers a higher calorie burn than some other aerobic exercises. According to the widely used Compendium of Physical Activities, jogging burns about 7.5 calories per kilogram of body weight each hour. That means you can burn about:
8 times as many calories as sitting quietly
4 times as many calories as walking
2.6 times as many calories as stationary cycling
“Jogging will burn more calories in a shorter period of time than cycling, especially if you’re not used to exercising,” reports Dr. Oliveira.
3. Improves insulin resistance and boosts metabolism
Insulin resistance is one of the biggest barriers to having a healthy metabolism. Insulin helps your body break down glucose for energy. But if your body can’t do that, your metabolism slows down, leading to:
Lower energy levels
Weight gain
An inability to burn fat
“Exercising at higher intensities helps increase metabolism and insulin resistance,” says Dr. Oliveira. “But researchers have also found that even lower-intensity exercises, like jogging, for longer periods of time can have the same effect.”
4. Strengthens your heart
Jogging also has positive impacts on your heart and its ability to pump blood to the rest of your body. That’s because it contributes to hypertrophy, or the strengthening of your heart’s muscle tissues.
“As you develop endurance, the amount of blood in one pump increases,” explains Dr. Oliveira. “When your heart gets stronger, it contracts more efficiently, which decreases your resting heart rate.”
5. Improves lung expansion and gas exchange
The more you work on building endurance and stamina, the more likely it is that you’ll improve your overall ability to breathe — both at rest and while jogging.
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“Consistent aerobic exercise helps your lungs get stronger and more efficient,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Over time, you won’t need to breathe as often because each breath brings in more oxygen than before.”
6. Activates muscles
Jogging activates major muscle groups, including your:
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Back
“Strength training is a good complement to jogging because it can help strengthen all the areas of your body,” says Dr. Oliveira. “This can help you handle longer distances.”
7. Reduces stiffness
“Jogging is one of those activities where once you get going, you start to feel better,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “It’s an exercise that helps warm up your muscles and lubricate your joints, which can help with the overall sense of stiffness that comes with age.”
That said, jogging is still a high-impact exercise because it forces you to bear down weight as your feet hit the pavement. Consider working with a physical therapist or athletic trainer to reduce the risk of further injury if you:
Have arthritis
Have an active injury
Had previous sprains or fractures in your lower body
8. Improves endurance
“The more you jog, the more you’ll increase your functional aerobic capacity,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Someone who jogs regularly will have better physical fitness that will help them last longer on a bike or a walk than someone who’s just getting started.”
Your ability to breathe and move also extends to other daily activities that demand cardiovascular strength and endurance, like climbing stairs.
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9. Provides better quality of life and other mental health benefits
Research shows that any amount of jogging — even just once a week — can improve your quality of life and lower your risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular-related issues.
“Jogging is a great form of exercise, but it’s not the only one,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “The most important thing is to work on being healthy and strong. And for a lot of people, if you’re looking to advance your physical fitness, jogging is a good place to start.”
As an increasing number of scientific studies are published citing the benefits of ‘exercise snacking’ – short bouts of physical activity sprinkled throughout the day – one celeb has sworn by the practise for several years already. The woman in question? Acting great Michelle Yeoh. Below, we look at the power of mini workouts and why the Oscar-winner’s go-to move is so effective.
Stretching
Michelle revealed to Vogue that she incorporates fitness into her morning routine in a way that’s incredibly time-efficient. ‘Remember, you can do your kicks, you can do your stretches, while you are also waking up,’ she said. Indeed, research has shown that regular stretching can improve flexibility, reduce muscle stiffness and improve blood circulation – all crucial elements of healthy ageing.
And you don’t have to stretch for very long, either. One study found that while static stretching improves flexibility in adults, there was no additional benefit observed beyond four minutes per session or 10 minutes per week. So, it seems that a short stretching sesh (you don’t even have to get out of bed to do it) like Michelle’s is a very worthwhile habit to adopt.
Squats
In her Vogue interview, Michelle also shared that she performs squats most days while doing her skincare routine. Virtually every expert and trainer we speak to here at Women’s Health lists squats as one of the most important moves for women to do as they age. A compound exercise (when multiple muscle groups are used), squats also mirror the vital movement pattern of sitting down and getting back up again.
Numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of this simple exercise for posture, strength and power, and one paper even found that intermittent squat exercises performed during prolonged periods of sitting may boost brain power. Whether you’re squatting mid-moisturise like Michelle or while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, the science suggests sprinkling squats into your day can be really quite powerful.
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The power of habit stacking
As Michelle’s routine shows, adopting a sustainable exercise routine often relies on habit stacking – adding a movement to something you already do every day, like doing your skincare or brushing your teeth.
BRB, we’re just off to do our daily squats.
After years living with endometriosis and undergoing seven rounds of IVF, Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett turned to training with PT Frankie Holah to rebuild strength and a more positive relationship with her body. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access Frankie’s full training plan.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.
